Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger labelled Thierry Henry the best striker in Europe following his crucial stoppage-time strike that took Arsenal through to the second round of the Champions League - just 24 hours after Manchester United chief said the same about his Dutch star Ruud van Nistelrooy.

"I don't agree with Ferguson," said Wenger. "They are two great strikers but Thierry is top, top class. I would not swap him for anybody and I want to keep this whole squad together.

"We'll gain a lot from getting through to the second round in the Champions' League again because this has been a much tougher group than many people thought."

Arsenal were facing going to Germany next Tuesday needing a point against Schalke to make sure Real Mallorca did not pip them for second place in Group C after the Spaniards, 2-0 down at Highbury to a double blast by Robert Pires and Dennis Bergkamp just past the hour-mark, halved their deficit.

It would have meant they had an away-goal edge on Arsenal had both sides finished the group level on points, having beaten Arsenal 1-0 in Palma last month.

But Henry's stoppage-time strike - his 13th goal in as many games this season - ended all Arsenal's anxiety.

Wenger said: "Luckily Mallorca gave him all the space he needed and Thierry does not miss those kind of chances any more, like he did a year ago. Nobody believed he would miss and that shows just how much he has improved."

Henry is already Arsenal's all-time top scorer in Europe with 17 goals in 31 ties, two more than Highbury legend Ian Wright.

But Wenger, who is likely to rest Henry from next week's trip to Germany admitted: "He left it really late. At 2-1 we needed the third goal and that's why I put on Kanu in the last few minutes - we are more happy trying to chase a goal than keeping hold of a result.

"We have to do better in that way but overall I'm very pleased with the performance and the resilience we showed."

Henry said: "My only thought when that chance came was that we had to score.

"It's great to hear what the manager says about me but I guess all managers are going to praise their players when they do well. For me, van Nistelrooy is a great striker and so is Raul at Real Madrid.

"So it is good to be mentioned with them.

"But sometimes you can't accept all the credit for success. Giovanni van Bronckhorst did a great job with the quick free-kick for me to score and also made a great run and cross for Dennis Bergkamp's goal."

Boavista 1

Liverpool 1

Stand-in boss Phil Thompson rated Liverpool's battling display to claw a point against Boavista as "right up there alongside our very best away displays in Europe", writes PAUL WALKER.

Thompson witnessed a display of courage and composure against waves of furious attacks from the Portuguese champions.

Danny Murphy gave the Reds a 17th-minute lead when his curling free-kick slipped through a gap in the defensive wall, but Silva headed home a second-half equaliser for Boavista.

With Borussia Dortmund beating Dynamo Kiev 1-0 in the other match in Group B, everything will now rest on Tuesday's final group matches against Dortmund at Anfield.

Liverpool will need not to lose to qualify for the next stage of the Champions League. Thompson said: "This was just as good and impressive as some of the fine away displays we produced last season to win the Uefa Cup, winning in Rome, and drawing away to Barcelona and Porto.

"The strikers tend to get all the praise, but sometimes you have to rely on your defence, and to a man they were outstanding.

"We lost Sami Hyypia with a hamstring injury early on, and that put the pressure on the back line. But the likes of Stephane Henchoz and substitute Stephen Wright were absolutely outstanding."